A Beautiful World
by Ilde
Summary: After escaping capture yet again, Eren trains to be stronger than Mikasa to protect her while struggling with his feelings for her. The Scouts discover new technology and truths about their world to come closer to saving humanity. Eren/Mikasa with other pairings as well.
1. Beautiful World

**Notes: This will be a multi-chaptered SnK fic. It picks up somewhere around chapter 50/end of chapter 50. Main pairing is Eren/Mikasa. Armin might be paired with someone as well (Annie or Historia; not so sure which one is best). One sided Jean/Mikasa. There are major plot spoilers for those who have not read the manga up to chapter 56.**

**A Beautiful World Chapter 1**

"I... I was useless... in the end, I still couldn't do anything..."

The screams and cries around him were unceasing. He couldn't even make out the faces of the corpses anymore. They were all blurred into one, single, endless, horrifying look of agony.

Just how many of his friends' lives had been snuffed out because of him? How many of his comrades had sacrificed themselves to those monsters for his sake?

And now, he was next. Was this his purpose? To be another face, another corpse, another pile of unrecognized bones to be burned in the bonfires?

The looming, terrifying smile above him jarred Eren back into reality. Hannes-san's blood trickled down the cruel mouth of the Titan, dribbling down the same mouth that had clenched and broken the bones of his mother. The same mouth that would soon consume Mikasa and him. The same mouth that would relish in their spilt blood and shattered skeletons.

_Mikasa._

Eren's anguished mind focused on his foster sister next to him. Mikasa had been seriously injured as well. From the looks of it, a multitude of her ribs had been broken, and maybe a leg or an ankle. Dark splotches of red stained her uniform, which was ripped and tattered in more places than Eren could count. Their 3DMGs were more or less in the same useless condition as their clothing.

It was over, Eren thought.

For the first time since his mother died, Eren cried. Sobs tore through his body. He tried to speak, but words, apologies, and curses tumbled out of his mouth like a hopelessly run-down supply cart.

In the end, he had been useless. He was just another casualty to be jotted down. Despite his dreams, his passion, and his sense of purpose, Eren Jaeger had failed. Not even his stupid Titan powers could save Mikasa and him.

It had all been a cruel joke.

"I've... always been worthless... since the very beginning..."

It was true. Eren could still recall the countless days when he had gone home, bruised and black-eyed, while Mikasa did not have so much as a scratch on her soft skin. His mother's alarmed voice still rang clear in his head.

_"You need to stop being so reckless and always have Mikasa save you, Eren. Be a man and protect Mikasa for once, okay?"_

He almost laughed at that one.

Because even though Eren had always tried to protect Mikasa, and even though Mikasa never seemed to need any protection but rather mothered over Eren instead, this was the one time that Mikasa needed protecting. The one time that she was critically injured and unable to fight. The one time in possibly all eternity for Eren to swoop in, blades barred, and defend Mikasa valiantly with his life.

The one time that things could be what they always should have been from the start.

Nope.

He was completely and utterly unable to protect the one person in his life that he had sworn to protect in the moment that she actually needed help. And this was the biggest slap to Eren's face of all time. He could easily picture the creator of the universe laughing his head off at him.

Eren struggled to hold back the tears.

"Mikasa... I'm sorry that... I was useless..."

He managed to choke out the words, coughing up a generous amount of blood while doing so.

Humanity's last hope had lost all hope.

"I'm sorry I couldn't... protect you like I always said I would... I'm sorry for pulling you into this... I'm sor-"

Eren's string of apologies was cut short by Mikasa's hand over his mouth. Despite all the rigorous fighting she had gone through every day, her hand was impossibly soft.

"Eren... that's not true."

She feebly dragged herself closer to him and grasped his hands. Her thumbs traced the contours of his palm, sending little arcs of electricity up Eren's arm.

"There is something... that I've always wanted to tell you," Mikasa muttered.

"Thank you, Eren, for always being there for me."

Eren's gaze never unlocked itself from the pools of emotion in her eyes, completely numbed by her words.

_What do you mean, Mikasa? I've failed. I've nev-_

She continued, "Thank you for teaching me how to live."

They were kneeling on the bloodstained ground. The sheer proximity between the two of them made Eren's heart do somersaults.

_Why am I feeling this way towards Mikasa, of all people... And why now? Aren't we about to die?_

_She's not your sister,_ a little voice inside him muttered.

Mikasa's hands parted from his own and touched the maroon scarf that Eren had gave her years ago.

"Thank you... Eren... for..."

Their lips were almost touching at this point in time. He could feel the warmth of her breath gracing his face. Words were struggling out of Mikasa's mouth.

_For what, Mikasa? What have I ever done for you that's so important...?_

"It's now or never," Mikasa thought.

_Even if everything around me is crumbling, I need to let him know... if this is really it... then... maybe these feelings... were the truth all along...?_

"...thank you for wrapping his scarf around me."

She closed the distance between them, pressing her lips gently against his cheek.

Eren's brain nearly short-circuited. The scent of Mikasa's hair, her kiss, and the mere touch of her lithe hands... it was too much to handle. There was only one question in his mind.

How could she be so beautiful when the world around them was a nightmare?

Mikasa let out a small sigh as Eren ran his hands through her silken hair. He had always done that when they were children, but now, it felt extremely different. It was a good different.

The looming hand above him jarred him out of their makeshift embrace.

Eren clenched his teeth.

_How stupid was I... why did I give up?_

"I'll wrap that scarf..."

Flames danced around Eren's fists. The Titan's colossal hand inched closer to them by the second.

"...around you as many times as it takes!"

_I'm still fighting... because..._

Eren stood up, ignoring the searing pain in his legs, and poised to strike.

_...I still need to see the ocean..._

Images of his childhood flashed into his mind. He remembered Armin's tales of the world outside the walls; his tales of icy fields and fiery waters. With a surging cry, Eren swung a single fist at the monster.

_...and most importantly... I need to live... in order to be with Mikasa._

Two fists, vengeance and cruelty, humanity and Titan-kind, connected on the battlefield.

_The world is cruel..._

There was a flash of white.

_...but it is also very beautiful._

**Notes: Well, that's Chapter 1! This was essentially a rewrite of Chapter 50 of the manga as a introduction of sorts to the story. I started off everything on a bit of a serious note, and because of the situation it was really difficult to put romantic moments in there. Also, Mikasa never kisses Eren in this scene during the manga; it was something I added. In a more laid back setting, it would have been easier, but this is my first time writing something remotely romantic or "shippy," and I'm still learning the ropes as I go.**

**I tried. Reviews would be very much appreciated. More is on the way.**


	2. Of Soup and Sentiments (mini-chapter)

**Notes: Chapter 1.5 and Chapter 2 are here. They will be based on the events of Chapter 51 of the manga (formation of the new Levi Squad), but with a few twists and changes. I'll do my best with the EreMika moments. The reason why I have a Chapter 1.5 is to serve as a bridge of sorts from the prologue (Chapter 1) to Chapter 2, which will be told from Mikasa's point of view instead of Eren's. I didn't want to change POVs in the near-beginning of a chapter, which is why I ended up making a mini Chapter 1.5. Anyhow, enjoy!**

**A Beautiful World Chapter 1.5**

Eren awoke with a start, banging the back of his head painfully against the wall behind him as a result.

Wincing from the unpleasant awakening, he tried to gather his thoughts as his vision slowly focused itself.

The adolescent boy stood up from the chair that he had fallen asleep in, which was adjacent to the accursed wall responsible for the shallow lump on his head. From the corner of his field of view, he could make out the frame of a bed.

"Stupid wall. Gah, where the heck am I again?" Eren groaned, trying to piece together the events responsible for where he was.

"Mikasa and I were hurt... the Scouting Legion rescued me from those traitors... and there was that fricken creepy Smiling Titan..."

He shuddered at the thought, recalling Hannes-san's gruesome death. Despite the old Garrison Regiment member being a drunkard and a coward at times, Hannes-san had always cared for Mikasa and Eren more than he let on. Eren remembered how the man had, at one time, let him try out his rifle despite the obvious protocol violations when Eren and Mikasa were out gathering firewood. Hannes had taught Eren and Mikasa how to shoot that day using leftover liquor bottles as targets.

_"Eren, you gotta aim a bit towards the right of the bottle more with this rifle. The rifles we're issued these days are inaccurate, but each gun is off-kilter in its own different way. A good marksman always knows his gun."_

Hannes-san had been regarded as an uncle of sorts by both children. But now, he too, was gone from the world. He had repaid-no, overpaid his debt to the Jaegers with his own life.

Eren shook his head vehemently, trying to purge the memories of Hannes' death from his mind. The thought of losing family was unbearable to him and it brought tears, clenched teeth, and curses.

"Speaking of family, where is Mikasa?" Eren wondered aloud, scratching his head in befuddlement.

He turned around to face the bed that was tucked into the corner of the room, and froze.

Protruding out from under the thick and layered blankets was the distinctive face an all-too familiar black haired girl. Mikasa's hair was undone and beautifully sprawled around her perfect features. Her eyes were lightly shut, as if by the doing of a thimble-sized fairy, and her serene expression remained even while asleep. An unconscious flush of red swept into Eren's facial regions.

_Why the hell is Mikasa here?! Why was I sleeping in the same room as her?! Where the heck am I? Whatthehellwhatthehellwhatthehellwhatthehell_

In his sudden nervous attack, the boy backed up into a small table behind him, knocking over a feeble wooden table and the soup bowl on top of it. The once-steaming liquid (now completely cold, thankfully) flew into the air, unceremoniously splattering Eren's white shirt as well as the floor around him.

The soft clatter of the soup spoon rung like a gong in his ears.

_Frick._

Even though he was now wet and understandably grumpy, at least Eren finally remembered why he was here to begin with: He had been watching over an injured Mikasa from last night's events when he had fallen asleep in his chair.

_That makes sense. It would explain a lot of things. I still can't remember what exactly happened after the a Smiling Titan though... Mikasa and I are still here, so I must have protected her, right?_

The thought of that brought a small but fleeting smile to Eren's usually somber countenance.

He turned back around to face a sleeping Mikasa, resting his hand on top of her open one. Mikasa's fingers curled tightly around Eren's digits, much to his surprise and nervousness. She still seemed to be sleeping though, which ruled out any chances of her actually being awake. After so many years of spending nights together as children, Eren could easily differentiate between a bone fide sleeping Mikasa and a non-sleeping version.

_It's been so long since we've ever slept together in the same bed... I wonder what it would feel like if we did it now- nonononono, Eren. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts._

The red tinge on his face only deepened in shade.

_But why would it matter, anyways? We're just siblings, after all._

However, he knew that was far from the truth.

Eren did his best to ignore the temperature increase in his head and focused his attention on the bed and the person on it. His feelings would either go away or sort themselves out eventually. Hopefully.

_For now, I'll just continue what I've always wanted to do and take care of Mikasa._

Eren rested his chin on his one free hand. The throbbing on the back of his head had subsided for the most part. His job to take care of her would be easy. After all, it had always been him who was supposed to look out for her, and not the other way around.

_Checkmate, Mikasa._

Ignoring the death stares from an upturned soul bowl on the hardwood floor would be a slightly more difficult task.

**Notes: I hope you enjoyed this mini chapter! I'm already working on Chapter 2, so don't you worry. Reviews are extremely appreciated, and I would love to know any suggestions/comments/feedback that you have about this story so far. Stay tuned ;)**


	3. Subconscious Fantasy

**Notes: Chapter 2 is here! Sorry for such a long wait. I had a ton of things to do the past two weeks, and I'll try to get future chapters done much quicker. This will be the first "main" chapter, as Chapters 1 and 1.5 were just meant to be a prologue of sorts to the story. To be very honest, I'm not too fond of Chapter 1 (in retrospect, I could have written it much better, but I was testing the waters and it kinda turned out that way). I promise you that the next few chapters will be definitely worth reading (I've prepared an awesome plot line and a lot of other scenes already). Whenever I'm free, I'll churn out new chapters. Like I said earlier, Chapter 2 will be told from the perspective of Mikasa. She might be slightly OOC (just a tad) because she gets really flustered, but other than that, I think this turned out okay. The beginning of this chapter is kinda explicit (think borderline smut)****, and is too suggestive to fit a T rating. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. If you do not want to read M rated stuff, then skip the beginning of this chapter. I won't be writing smut anytime soon, however. The rest of the story will be T rated. Enough with my droning on; enjoy the chapter!**

**A Beautiful World Chapter 2**

"Eren... We... umm... probably shouldn't be doing this here..."

Nervousness was practically dripping from the girl's mouth as she choked the words out. The boy across from her, who had effectively pinned her by the arms against the cold wall, made no response. The emerald of his eyes remained unwavering and unwilling to part with her face. Despite numerous attempts to pry herself free from her awkward predicament, Eren's grasp was impossibly firm. That couldn't be. Mikasa knew she was stronger than him, both physically and mentally. But for some inexplicable, arbitrary, and completely darned reason, it was.

Mikasa was trapped.

"Eren... uhh... I-I'm not so sure if w-we..." Mikasa squeaked, blushing like a typical schoolgirl near her crush. That was uncalled for. She wasn't so sure why literally all her defenses were completely immobilized. Maybe it was because of his touch, maybe it was because his scent (cherry, maple, and a whiff of musk) was just so intoxicating, or perhaps it was because deep down inside the Minotaur-guarded labyrinth of Mikasa's heart, she really, truly, liked him, _like_-liked him, as the girls in the trainee barracks would commonly exclaim with delight. Nothing like that mattered at the moment, however. All she knew was that Eren was _here_, Eren was _hers_, and Eren was about to do something earth-shatteringly wonderful to her.

There was the possibility that she could regret it later, but later was later. There was a reason why the here-and-now was dubbed the present. She was meant to receive it and, of course, enjoy it.

Mikasa caught just the glimpse of hungry, starved, and relentless desire in his mesmerizing orbs of jade just before Eren crushed his lips to hers. Their tongues intertwined, his hands tracing circles near her cheekbones, effectively suppressing the moans of pleasure that struggled to see the light of day.

The kiss was finally broken off by the giver, much to Mikasa's dismay. It would be short lived, as Eren wasted no time snaking his hands down Mikasa's ample bosom, caressing her peaks with touches and generous kisses. Her whimpers were audible, even demanding, and only increased the rate at which he dragged his tongue across Mikasa's body, slowly reaching her quivering lower regions. Thin and rapidly cooling trails of saliva were left across her taut abdomen, causing her creamy skin to give rise to goosebumps. Mikasa ached tremendously with longing and urgent desire. The sharp contrast of his warmth against her shivering figure was too much to handle.

It had, at one point, occurred to Mikasa that she had been quite easily demoted from humanity's second strongest to a pile of euphoric mush, but that moment had long since flown away.

"Eren... haaa... Eren... Oh, yes, more... _Eren!_"

A sudden crash of what sounded like a chair forced her eyes to flutter open and abandon her subconscious fantasy. She inwardly groaned.

"So it was all... a dream," she muttered, the area between her legs still throbbing from the arousal during her sleep. Mikasa cursed the fact that it was gradually ebbing away.

The beautiful pillars of sensation had left, allowing reality's roof to come crashing down upon her like a ton of bricks in the wake of their absence.

Quietly, Mikasa made a mental note to wage total war against chairs the next time she saw one.

"M-Mikasa?" An all-too familiar and boyish voice stammered. She knew that voice anywhere. It was the same voice that had told her about the Scouting Legion when they were kids, the same voice that had swore to exterminate the Titans, and the same voice that had wrapped a crying little girl on a cold night with words of fire and hope.

_Eren... What is he doing here...?_

"Oh... it's just you, Eren..." Mikasa murmured softly, doing nothing to conceal the inevitable blush blossoming across her cheeks. She tried to sit up, shrugging the blankets off, but was pierced by a burning spear of pain in her chest. Mikasa bit her lip sharply, nearly drawing blood. Her head collapsed back onto the bed, nearly smothering the pillow in the process.

_Right. Compound fractures in my ribcage. A lot of them._ _This isn't good. I'll never be able to protect Eren at this rate..._

Mikasa decided to tilt her head towards the boy next to the bed instead of shattering her ribcage again by sitting up. In what appeared to be a nervous attack, Eren hastily buried his head in his hands, trying desperately to avoid Mikasa's gaze.

"Eren...? Are you okay?"

No response from the brown haired boy. Mikasa, unsure of what had caused him to panic, persisted in her questioning.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did someone do something bad to you?"

"... I-I'm fine, uh, Mikasa..." Her name barely made it out of his mouth as the low stutter of Eren's voice faded rather quickly.

Mikasa wouldn't have it.

"Eren, tell me what happened." The sternness of her voice bounced inside Eren's ear until it hurt. Clearing his throat, he managed to gather his resolve and squeeze an answer out.

"Uh, well, um, I was taking care of you kinda, you know, after what happened when you guys went all commando trying to rescue me, and the Scouts did rescue me, and, uh, so I was watching you as you slept since you broke your ri-uh, not in a creepy sort of way, obviously, but, umm, you know, just making sure you were alrigh-"

"Cut the crap, Eren." Mikasa promptly ended the boy's valiant effort to stall for time.

Eren shifted uneasily in his chair.

_I've never seen him look so off before... Is it the heat in the room? No, the window is open and a cool draft is blowing in... Eren never was bothered much by the heat anyways... Is it me...? I don't think my clothing is revealing or anything right now... I mean there's half a blanket over my body-no, Eren would never feel that way towards me!_

"Well, the truth is, Mikasa, um, while you were sleeping..."

She really felt sorry for him. He looked like an animal that was getting ready to be devoured. But she had to know what he was hiding from her.

"Go on Eren... what happened as I was sleeping?" The gentle prodding of her voice seemed to be effectively pushing the boy to reveal the truth.

Mikasa felt like she knew what was coming. It was probably something about Jean sneaking into the room to fawn over her, or Sasha spilling soup over him (it would certainly explain why his shirt looked crinkly as if it had dried out on its own and why he reeked of the stuff), or maybe it was Levi heichou yelling at Eren for missing an obscure patch of dust while cleaning (she would kill the chibi one day), but whatever it was, it was probably not worth Eren getting all self conscious and embarrassed.

_Or maybe... It was because of what I said to him during the battle with Reiner... I said that I loved him, right? No, I never said it directly, but I kissed him. That must have told him, right? Could it be that he's getting all worked up about that right now? Is that what his embarrassment is for? Yes, that's probably it._

The black haired girl allowed herself a small smile as she considered this possibility, masking the ridiculously excited girl inside her that was squealing,_ "YESYESYESYESholyfrickheisgoingtoconfesshisfealingsformemaybewewiklfinallybeacoupleandgetmarriedandgavetenchildrenandgetmarriedagainandhavemorechildrenandevendoXXXtogetherFLAWLESSVICTORY!"_

Pushing her gleeful thoughts aside temporarily, Mikasa waited for Eren to confirm her suspicions. She rested her soft gaze on the inviting perches of his face.

The words slipped out so quietly from his lips that Mikasa had to strain her ears in order to hear what he was saying.

"Well... uh... you kinda, you know, as you were sleeping, were... talking... in your, uh... sleep... To be more clear, um, you kinda were saying my name over and over again with an... uh..."

He gave a violent and shaky cough before finally finishing.

"...interesting expression on your face."

Eren finished his deliverance of the truth with a giant flush of red that was impossible to hide. He was sweating even more than that time when Shadis had made him run one hundred laps in blistering summer heat because he gave Jean a knuckle to the face.

Suddenly, Mikasa wished she could disappear. Her face was having a heated competition with Eren's to see who could turn a deeper hue of pink. A thousand-no, a million different thoughts swarmed through her mind as she understood the real reason why Eren had been so incredibly flustered.

Mikasa had been moaning Eren's name in her sleep while hopelessly submerged in her subconscious state of ecstasy. And Eren. Had. Heard. Every. Single. Thing. She. Said.

A dreadful, lingering silence prevailed. If there was a hole, Mikasa would have hid in it. And stayed in it. Probably for a good five weeks.

Instead, she was stuck in a rigid and very uncomfortable staring match with Eren.

_What do I do?! If I hide under the blankets or the pillow, he'll know for sure that he meant what I said! Your kidding me right? This can't be happening... ABORT NOWWWWWWWW!_

Eren was still frozen in place, staring at the ground. Mikasa eyed the wooden door that was a few meters away from her bed.

_Maybe I can roll out of bed and crawl out of the room really quickly... I mean, we've done drills like that before... No, he'll definitely notice me. But in this condition, what the heck can I do to get out of this?!_

"Have you two brats finished up yet? I'd better not see anything that will scar me for fricken life when I walk in."

And without a pause of more than 5 seconds, Captain Levi unceremoniously kicked open the door with his eyes closed. He looked more vertically challenged than ever, and was pushing a crude wheelchair along with him. After slowly opening his eyes, his figure relaxed a little, although his omnipresent gloom remained. Eren seemed to have jolted back into reality and whipped himself into a salute. "L-Levi heichou, sir! Is there any clean-err, anything you need me to do?" Normally, Mikasa would have regarded the midget of a Captain with utter disdain. But right now, he (albeit quite regrettably) was her savior.

The diminutive Captain seemed to have disregarded the boy's question and opened his mouth to talk.

"I was expecting worse. Oh well. Ackerman, Jaeger. Breakfast is ready. The wheelchair is courtesy of your braniac blondie pal who scrapped it together on the fly. Get yourselves out of your romantic limbo if you don't want to starve. Need I repeat myself? Good. Jaeger, help your girlfriend out of bed."

"She's n-not my girlfriend, heichou-"

"Sister, girlfriend, friends, sex buddies, acquaintances, rivals, I don't care. If you can't do it, I'll tell Jean to come up here and get Ackerman into the wheelchair." Levi was clearly annoyed.

Eren flushed a bit and hastily replied, "N-no, heichou. I'll do it. I understand."

Mikasa nearly jumped as she felt his hand grab hers, lifting her body up. He was being careful not to strain her chest in the process as well as avoiding eye contact. The embarrassment still lingered between them like a bad odor. The next thing she knew, Eren had lifted her up bridal style and placed her gently into the wheelchair. She nearly let out a small shriek of surprise. The flesh on her legs were still tingling, recalling the way his hands had touched them.

_I didn't know he was strong enough to lift me up like that... I've done it to him before when we were younger, but he never could do it to me._

The room around them disappeared as the wheelchair swiftly carried Mikasa to freedom. Below, the wheelchair seemed to be mocking her.

_"You needed me after all,"_ it grinned. The voice sounded suspiciously like Levi.

"Stupid chibi..." Mikasa swore under her breath. But then again, the chibi had saved her from a very awkward conversation with Eren. So had the block of wood she was sitting on.

And so with much annoyance, Mikasa had to admit that her vendetta against chairs could wait.

**Notes: Thanks for reading Chapter 2! I hope you enjoyed yourself. Reviews are very appreciated, and I gladly accept all comments/praise/criticism so I can make my writing better in the future. And also, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed so far as well as those who faved/followed this story. Next couple chapters will aim to have more action as well as some fluff. Suggestions are also accepted. More is coming, and stay tuned!**


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